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Volume 26, No. 24
February 8, 2025
Sixty-five Man’s best friend saves life years and counting Ronan survives bull attack with help from his dog By Dan Wacker
dan.w@dairystar.com
AMY KYLLO/DAIRY STAR
Gary Hillesheim pauses during evening milking Jan. 30 at Riverside Dairy near Sleepy Eye, Minnesota. Hillesheim starts morning chores each day at 4:30.
Hillesheim pushes away retirement, continues to dairy By Amy Kyllo
amy.k@star-pub.com
SLEEPY EYE, Minn. — For over 65 years 79-year-old Gary Hillesheim has been working on his farm, Riverside Dairy, near Sleepy Eye. “That’s all I know,” Hillesheim said. “I never thought of doing anything else.” Hillesheim will turn 80 in May. He farms alongside his wife, Rosie, and daughter, Stacy Tauer, and her and her husband Ron’s children, Nick and Sidney. They milk 70-80 cows in an 8-stall stanchion at parlor. The herd is housed in a sawdust compost pack barn. Tauer has been working full time alongside her dad for 20 years. She nishes beef on the side and plans to eventually take over the family dairy. Turn to HILLESHEIM | Page 6
WAUKON, Iowa — July 27, 2024, started like every other morning at Ronan Family Dairy Farm near Waukon. Jim Ronan went to the barn to move cows around and get prepared for milking and the hoof trimmer, who was coming that day. While moving a cow to the barn, he was hit by the farm’s 3,000-pound bull. Before he knew what happened, Jim was on the ground being pushed around by the bull, who had been on the farm for over 18 months without any signs of aggression.
DAN WACKER/DAIRY STAR
Jim Ronan sits on a steel bunk by his dog, Miley, Jan. 22 at his farm near Waukon, Iowa. With help from Miley, Ronan survived an aƩack from a bull that leŌ him with eight broken Turn to RONAN | Page 2 ribs.
Shrupps step up to leadership role Couple to chair National Young Cooperators Program advisory board By Tiffany Klaphake tiffany.k@dairystar.com
EDEN VALLEY, Minn. — Tim and Megan Schrupp have accomplished being active both on their dairy farm and in the dairy industry on the local and national levels. Tim and Megan were named First District Association’s Young Cooperator of the Year. The Schrupps and Megan’s parents, Vern and PHOTO SUBMITTED Mary Kay Becker, own and Tim and Megan Schrupp hold up the picture they received as an award for First District As- operate NexGen Dairy LLC sociaƟon’s Young Cooperator of the Year at the organizaƟon’s winter conference Jan. 4 in where they milk 1,000 cows St. Cloud, Minnesota. The couple was also selected to chair the NaƟonal Young Coopera- near Eden Valley. tors Program advisory board, which is funded by the NaƟonal Milk Producers FederaƟon. Turn to SHRUPPS | Page 7